Customer Reviews

Porter-Cable 394 5-Inch Low-Profile Random-Orbit Sander with Dust Collection and Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive Pad

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I repair and refinish furniture for a living, so sanders in my shop get daily use, and I have found the Porter-Cable sanders to be the best bang for your buck, and have used them almost exclusively for the last 12 years.
I ordered this to replace a Porter-Cable sander that was just plain worn out after 3 years of daily use, and thought the low profile design would help with getting into some of the tighter areas on furniture, such as drawer openings ect.
The sander seems to be built well, and does a great job of sanding. but ergonomically, this is the worst design ever! it is almost impossible to use it for anything other than horizontal surfaces, because the grip area is almost as wide as the base of the sander...hand fatigue sets in almost immediately!
Unless you are sanding only large flat horizontal surfaces, I would recommend you pass on this sander! Buy the "old style" sanders that let you actually get a grip, so you can maneuver them to where you need them!

I purchased this sander to replace an older Porter Cable model of a similar orbital sander based on test rports I had read and concur it is the best of its class on the market. In use it prodces a surface without any swirl marks that show when finish applied. It is well balanced and easy to use. I do not use the attached dust collector; using instead my PC dust colector via its hose with excellent collection of dust. The attached dust collector might be handy if the sander is used away from the shop. This sander is well worth the money paid for it.

The new design of low profile sander makes using a vacuum hose connection less user friendly.It changes direction of dust collection port to (straight out ) from old model which was easier to use (curved around the side). But mainly my gripe is the grip was designed for a hand the size of a NBA players hand .WHAT WERE THEY THINKING ?Otherwise it sands well,with my luck it will never stop working. Wood worker

Beware - This model uses adhesive sanding disks, though Amazon is presently suggesting that "Customers buy this item with...Hook-and-Loop Sanding Disks" -- don't be fooled!

If you want to use hook-and-loop disks, you should instead purchase Porter-Cable 390K 5-Inch Low Profile Random Orbit Sander Kit with Hook & Loop Pad and Dust Collection.

Vibration is low. Noise is low. It doesn't bog down under pressure. The low profile allows me to power sand in areas I couldn't reach before. By the way use dewalt replacement pads. They are exactly the same ans 1/2 the price. I have both brands. I love this sander.